Light Of The World

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:1-5)

On this occasion, the disciples engaged Jesus with a question based on all they knew from the writings of their Holy Scriptures and from traditions handed down by the generations. They clearly understood that sin was the sole cause for mankind's suffering. So much so, the disciples probably didn't even realize they had just just made an assumption that perhaps it was the man himself who sinned that he was born blind...while he was in the womb! But Jesus chose not to even address that, nor did He attempt to discuss with them the theology of sin. As was the norm in His dealings with the people, He went straightway to why He had come; to set the captives free.

Regardless of our physical condition, it is the soul that Jesus has come to deliver from the chains of the enemy. While God may choose to have mercy on physical infirmities, that is strictly up to Him, as He declares at the beginning of leading His people, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (Exodus 33:19) However, a sound mind has been promised for His children. "...for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control." (2Timothy 1:7)

Our efforts are to be focused on the souls of those we come into contact with, and not so much on their physical condition. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

Jesus was not as much interested in giving sight to the blind as He was in giving us spiritual insight, that we may overcome the lie set before all humanity that is designed to keep us from seeing the light of the world. Yet even seeing the light, many do not want to believe.

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:19-21)

Man, absent of God's mercy and the abiding Holy Spirit, is unable to come to Him. Knowing we've received this, we then rely on the Holy Spirit to humble us that we may become His disciples. For who, of their own will, would find this appealing or even possible? "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24,25)

PJR

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
(John 14:15-17)